It All Started With A Joke Shop
by Tookietookietookie
Summary: It all started with a joke shop, how ironic that it would end there also... A one-shot written for a challenge at the HPFF forums. If you do read, please leave a review, it would be much appreciated, thank-you!


**The Truth about Pureblood Love**

_It all started with a joke shop, how ironic that it would end there also._

_*~*~*~*~*_

**The Year 1999- **

The sun shone brightly on the street of Diagon Alley as Daphne Greengrass and her younger sister Astoria wandered around looking at the different shops. They were both surprised at how already, mere months after the ending of the dark war, life in the wizarding world had begun to change. It seemed to the two young purebloods that the entire world seemed just a little bit brighter and a little less dangerous.

Daphne let out a sigh of comfort as she walked along the wide cobblestone streets of bustling wizards and witches all smiling and happy. Daphne's younger sister Astoria followed behind her, eyeing off the happy families with a strange, almost confused expression. Her eyes lit up as she noticed a building of particular interest to her,

"Ooh can we go in there please Daph?" Astoria asked with a charming grin as she pointed towards Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, Daphne bit her lip nervously but nodded none-the-less,

"Sure thing, but remember we still need to get you're sixth year books and equipment." Astoria nodded vaguely at the sound of her sisters nagging voice not really hearing the older girl as she started off in a determined fashion, heading eagerly towards the popular joke shop.

The Greengrass' were a pure-blood family like any other in the wizarding world- related to practically everyone else, and constantly trying to hide any member of their family who did not come up to their high standard. The Greengrass women were all very similar in appearance and could often be picked out of a crowd purely from looks. They were, as a general rule, rather short, with lightly tanned skin and dusty blonde hair. Their faces were delicate and round, Polish in appearance, with eyes full of mystery, intelligence and spark.

Daphne was slightly taller than most in her family standing at 5 ft 4 inches, and her eyes were a dark brown that sparkled with prejudice and dislike of all things common. Although only nineteen in a few months Daphne was going to travel to Romania to marry a pureblood Wizard, she was going there because of the fact that, as Mrs Greengrass put it when the matter was ever discussed amongst friends 'there were very few respectable pureblood male wizards still alive in Britain after the Dark War.' Although now they hid their prejudices from the world as much as possible, the old habits were hard to free themselves of, and in fact, the Greengrass' did not particularly want to change their ideals to suit the rest of the world, as they felt that by changing they would betray those that had died fighting for these ideals to become commonplace. The Greengrass girls had in fact, lost their father and elder brother during the Dark War, two wounds that still caused great agony to the family. Their father had disappeared one bright summer day several years ago after the Dark Lord had sent him to trail Dumbledore, whilst their older brother had died in the battle of Hogwarts, before Daphne and Astoria's very eyes, and the pain that was left due to this event was still prickling close to the surface, hidden just out of plain view, but ever persistent on their minds.

Astoria Greengrass was short and petite, just about 5 feet tall with lightly tanned skin, large cold grey eyes that glittered with indifference and malice, and an attractive pout almost always graced her delicate face. She did not often smile, and in general showed a rather apathetic outlook towards everything in life, but when something was worth her interest, she often became obsessed with it beyond good reason and understanding. Her smile was strange for only one side of her face curved properly; the right side, giving her a crooked smile that oozed character and danger. Her nose turned up slightly at the end and was splattered with freckles, meaning that she almost always seemed to turn her nose up at those around her, although being a Greengrass, she probably did not even notice the 'common and weak' that moved around her. Astoria was, in general, an average witch, good at everything but excellent at very little.

Daphne grabbed Astoria's arm as the younger sister went to enter the shop,

"You know that we might very well not be welcome in there Tori?" Daphne stated in a hushed almost ashamed voice that rolled off of Astoria, who merely nodded and rolled her eyes,

"They're Weasley's Daph, as if they can afford to refuse service to anyone? Even with one less in the family to worry about" Astoria gave a smug smirk and opened the door and entered, leaving an angry and annoyed Daphne on the doorstep.

"That girl doesn't understand anything." Daphne muttered angrily under her breath as she followed her younger sister inside.

The fact of the matter was, that Astoria understood EXACTLY what she was doing, and knew the pain that two purebloods, from a family of known Dark Lord supporter's, would do to the two Weasley's brothers that now ran the shop.

A small bell rang as Astoria and her sister entered the shop which was, to both their surprise, rather full. Children of all ages ran about the shop shoving candies into their mouths and pulling out their life savings to spend on, what Astoria considered, 'useless items.' Astoria noticed, with some glee, that both Ron and George had noticed her and were whispering. Daphne also noticed this and she felt the blush of shame rise to her cheeks at the intensity and hatred in their glares, she bit her lip and lowered her head as she gently tapped her sister on the shoulder,

"Come on Astoria, they don't want us in here." She stated under-her-breath, like many of the Dark Lord's surviving supporters, Daphne now often felt ill at ease around others and was nervous and quivery, extremely keen to never put a toe out of line in fear of what the repercussions would be towards her and her family.

Astoria grinned and continued forward, she had seen an item that made her almost laugh aloud, it was perfect-

"Oh look," she said in a loud, vain voice, "a fake ear," she said picking it up and turning with a malicious smile to face the two Weasly brothers, "I suppose you came up with that when the Dark Lord blew your ear off did you George?" George snarled and made a movement towards his wand, he was only stopped by Ron placing his hand firmly on his larger, stronger brother's broad chest.

The slight movements were enough to fuel the fire that kept Astoria going and she smirked before continuing in her usual, high voice that greatly resembled her late godmother, Bellatrix Lestrange. "Pity you couldn't make an entire new body for that brother of yours, but then I suppose without him that leaves you to take all the glory and attention." Daphne's eyes widened in horror as Astoria gave her wicked signature crooked grin as she saw the anger erupt in both of the red-haired brothers. Ron drew his wand at the same time as George, and despite all of Daphne's pulling Astoria did not move, instead she stood staring the two Weasley brother's in the eyes, unafraid of what could possibly happen, and rather enjoying the spectacle that she had created with just a few simple words. Her fun was interrupted by another voice, loud and firm, authoritative in nature, with a familiar slow drawl,

"Enough of this, this is a joke shop after all, and that was a joke. A rather horrid and indecent joke but a joke nonetheless," Draco Malfoy stepped from behind a pile of boxes he'd been standing behind as he watched the scene unfold.

"GET OUT! ALL THREE OF YOU! I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY OF YOU IN HERE EVER AGAIN!" Ron shouted, his pale face as red as the roots of his hair. George turned and fled up the stairs in what was no doubt anger but to all below seemed like despair- mostly due to Astoria's comment,

"Oh look, Weasley's gone to cry. Boo hoo." Here she paused and licked her lips before shouting, "You're not the only ones who lost family you know! There are others out there suffering more than you lot!" She glared after him angrily, before turning and storming out, knocking over numerous items on her way out.

Draco and Daphne raced out after her. Once out into the street Daphne spun her sister around and planted a resounding slap across her sister's face, not even feeling the pain as her hand collided with great force into her sister's face leaving a large red hand mark. There were tears of dismay and fear in Daphne's eyes.

"I know that you're upset that we've lost Dad and Matimeo, Astoria, but that does nothing to help the situation! Nothing!" Daphne hissed, gripping her sister's shoulders so tightly that she could feel her manicured fingers pierce the skin, she shoved her sister back and raised her hands in defeat, "I can't deal with you right now. Here take the money and get you're things yourself!" Daphne stated, throwing the bag of money at her sister, and turning and storming away past the joke shop and disappearing into the crowd.

Astoria stood in the street with a vacant confused expression on her face, why was her sister so angry? What had she done wrong? She stood in shock, staring at the space where her older sister had stood, still clasping the bag of money in her hand. The sounds of laughter and explosions from the joke shop once again filling the street.

Astoria turned and found Draco standing before her, a strange look on his face.

"What is it Draco, want to have a go at me as well? Then go ahead, I'm a free target." Draco shook his head, it had been several years since he'd seen Astoria, and he could not believe how she had changed, all the Greengrass women were fairly attractive in their own unique way, but most witches now were like Daphne, emotionally frail and timid, afraid of punishment due to their blood lines and previous alignment in the war. Yet here in front of him stood a young girl who had not that fear and fragility. Instead she had the same strength, anger and bitterness that Bellatrix herself had possessed, and they oozed from Astoria's aura so much so that Draco was more than a little intrigued in the girl before him.

"Come on, I'll come with you to get you're books." He stated simply. Astoria looked at him sceptically before nodding and following after him.

After that day, and the incident in the Joke shop, Draco and Astoria spent much time together as friends, and when Astoria returned to school Draco found that he had developed a surprising attraction for the fiery young witch. An attraction that Draco thought his broken soul could not feel. Here was someone that made him feel alive once more...

*~*~*~*

**The Year 2017**

"Come on Scorpius Abraxas Malfoy, or we shall be late!" Astoria Malfoy shouted up the stairwell to her eleven year old son, her anger evident in her heated tone. Sure enough, it did the trick for several moments later a skinny blonde child in tailored clothing rushed down the stairs and arrived at his mother's feet. He stood; head held high his nose that resembled his mothers pointed up the sky whilst his tanned skin glowed as he rolled his grey eyes in a bored fashion. Astoria looked down (though not very far) at her son and snarled at him to behaviour. She then turned and tapped her expensively shod foot impatiently as she waited for her husband, Draco, to arrive in the large expansive marble foyer of Malfoy Manor. Astoria had just licked her lips in preparation to yell once more, fuming inside at the laws against keeping house elves, when her husband appeared, dressed in a subdued black suit holding his father's old cane in his hand,

"Perhaps you should go yourselves to Diagon Alley," he stated as he leant heavily on his cane and looked down at his wife hopefully, "I really do not see the need in me accompanying you there Astoria." Draco said in a slow, tired voice that hung heavy with gloom. Astoria shook her head paying no heed to his tone or expression as she waved away his words as though they were merely annoying wisps of smoke,

"Nonsense, you're son and I are NOT travelling into London alone, now come along Draco." Draco nodded, defeated and let out a long sigh as he followed his wife and son into the swirling green flames that occupied their large marble fireplace and travelled by the Floo system to Diagon Alley.

As Draco stepped from the fireplace he noticed that Astoria was walking around frantically, her eyes large with fear and dismay,

"He's not here Draco?!? Draco he's not here!" She shrieked as she spotted him, she bit her lip before continuing, "Where do you think you he is?" She asked in a terrified whisper as she clutched at her husband's arm. Draco pursed his lips and thought back trying to think of anything that his son might do, or where his son may try and 'escape' to, something that Draco could completely understand him wanting to do, for Astoria was, as she had always been, a handful and rather difficult to put up with. As her husband was of no help to her, Astoria released Draco's arm and sauntered over to the shop assistant Mr Burke, her distant relative, who had just arrived to see what all the raucous was about in his store.

The problem of where young Scorpius would be was not a difficult problem for Draco to solve, for like any other child who was able to, Scorpius was, without a doubt, in Weasleys' Wizard Wheeze's. Draco was even more certain that this was the case as he remembered that, in the Christmas just past, Scorpius had desperately wanted to enter the shop with a group of his friends, however Astoria had resolutely told him no, without offering any means of an explanation. As he recalled, it had resulted in quite a large fight between the two other members of his family.

Draco snapped out of his thoughts to hear his wife abusing Mr. Burke of stealing her child. Draco shook his head in tired dismay at his wife's antics. They had been married for 16 years, and his wife was still as ignorant, aggressive, and bitter as ever. Growing old had done nothing for her personality, and the traits that Draco had fallen in love with all those years ago inside Weasley's Wizard Wheeze's were now the things that irked him the most.

"Astoria stop that, I know where he is, he's at the joke shop." Draco snapped rather bitterly, Astoria froze and turned around, her mouth still open in an odd expression stuck somewhere between a sneer and a scream of dismay,

"What on earth would possess him to go there?" She said, in a loud shrieking voice that caused Draco to shudder as he realised, not for the first time, that her voice was almost the same voice as Bellatrix's. Draco was not going to let his wife continue to make a scene, so he held open the door to the shop before explaining in a calm, level voice-

"He's a young boy Astoria that is why he will be there." Draco stated before continuing in a much more firm commanding voice much like his father's, "Now come on leave these people be, they have done nothing wrong." Astoria looked at her husband through squinted eyes, weighing up whether or not arguing would amount to anything, at his firm expression Astoria decided to not speak back. Mr. Burke shook his head in amazement behind her back as she turned her head up and walked out onto the street and marched towards the joke shop. She continued to storm forwards, pushing through the masses of witches and wizards that were out shopping, and even knocked one little girl, who just 'happened' to be a muggle-born, over onto the cobblestones where she burst into tears. Astoria ignored her, but Draco rushed forward and lifted the girl up and apologised to the parents and handing them money to buy the girl another ice-cream before he straightened and began jogging after Astoria.

Astoria paused on the doorstep of the joke shop and straightened out her skirt-suit with a resounding 'huff' of air from her nostrils. Draco grabbed her arm gently as she reached for the door handle of the joke shop and pulled her back towards the street softly as possible. Astoria stopped and looked at him with an annoyed expression on her face, and suddenly it all made sense to Draco.

The reason that she had never changed after the war was because she had been too young. She had never fought in any of the battles, she had never seen the people dying at the end of one of her own spells, and never had she felt the empty coldness in her soul as the dead eyes stared up at her without emotion. She did not understand anything for she had been hidden from the truth, from the horrors that the war had possessed.

"I'll go in sweetheart," Draco murmured as though he was talking to a wild horse rather than his wife, "I know that you hate the shop." He pushed a rogue strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled, "Besides, I believe that you left a rather painful memory last time you were here. Come, let me do it." Astoria paused unsurely and Draco continued by sliding his arm about her waist and directing her out onto the street, "How about you go and buy Scorpius his owl?" Draco's calming, smooth voice caused a peaceful expression to fall over Astoria's face as her beauty returned once more. She smiled and nodded, before she walked away from the joke shop.

Draco watched her disappear with an empty hollow feeling as he realised, that whilst he would always be fond and protective of the attractive young woman that was his wife, the love and devotion that he had felt for her had long ago fled from him, along with the last of his happiness...

* * *

**NOTE- I hope you enjoyed this :-) I realise its a bit of a depressing idea for all of those who desperatly want Draco to have a happy ending, and I'm actually one of those people, however; I struggle to see him fall for someone kind. :'( Also,**** I never get many reviews, so please, if you have any general comments, feedback on how I could improve my writing, anything at all, please let me know, I'd really appreciate it :-)**


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